About

Cost

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Difficulty

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Time

5h00

Animal tails (foxes, raccoons, wolves mainly) are becoming a new fashion statement. But not everyone is okay with harming one of their furry friends for fashion. And fake fur fabric always looks lame to me. Here's a way to make a realistic looking tail without killing~!Note, it has to be 100% ACRYLIC YARN or else this won't work. That's because stuff like cotton yarn will brush out as soon as you start brushing.

This is an easy process, but it takes a loooonnggg time. If it's a tiny little tail for a keychain like the one I made it'll only take a few hours. But if it's super long like for a big scarf, it'll take much longer. The long white and orange one I made for a pokemon costume took about 3 days of solid work. Also get creative with this. You can make keychains, tails, phone charms, scarfs, anything!

Note: I added a bunch of steps just to kinda keep people from being lost. It's much easier

(I originally got the idea from Bir's yarn tail tutorial. But I altered the process a bit to make it quicker.)

You Will Need

Measure about how long you want your tail. Then add about 5 more inches onto the length for a small tail. For a large one leave about 10. Don't cut it off yet. Do this in the color you want the tip of ur tail. For this I'm making a black fox tail tipped in white.

(I actually had already began making a tail before I decided to make a tutorial on it. So this one is just a little quick one I did for the tutorial.)

Step 2

Next ur gonna fold it in half. Still don't cut~

Step 3

Keep doing this about 30 times for a smaller tail. If you're doing a big tail you'll want to do it about 90 times. For a thinner tail do it less, thick more.

Step 4

Next cut the bottom and top so it's all seperate pieces.

Step 5

Now tie the bottom and knot it a few times. Make sure to leave a little left over to make into the tip of the tail.

Step 6

Begin making a simple braid out of the yarn.

Step 7

Now take a piece of yarn and tie it off on the bottom. Really tight too!

Step 8

Do this twice, to make it extra secure.

Step 9

This is what it should look like so far. Also get your brushes ready!

Step 10

First brush to use is the pin brush (the orange one) and brush it out. If you have a small tail this one isn't completely necessary, but if you have a huge tail it is!

Step 11

Next use the slicker brush, don't worry if lots of the "fur" comes out when you brush it. It just happens. When I did my big tails I had trash cans full of it! If when you're brushing and so much "fur" comes out that the tuft of fur shrinks and grows small, then your yarn isn't 100% acrylic.

Step 12

Now use your straightener to straighten the fur. But I guess if you want a curly tail you don't have to? I've never tried it. It also makes it softer to the touch.

Step 13

Now you got this afterwards!

Step 14

Now get your needle and thread ready. For this entire project you're gonna wanna knot it and tie it all around like this.

Step 15

Now you're gonna wanna go through the top where you had the two tied off parts and sew it all together. This is to keep it even more sturdy.

Step 16

Now this is what you should have by now, this is the real tail I'm making! And right now, you're finished with your base!!

Step 17

~MAKING THE FUR~
(pop in a movie or 7. It'll take a while.)

Now next we're gonna start on the fur. Note, this is for makign ONE tuft of fur. You're gonna wanna do this AT LEAST 40 times.

I actually got my black yarn from a scarf I was pimping out to look like a fox.

To measure out your fur you're gonna wanna take the yarn and wrap it around your hand(or can if you have small hands like me). For a tiny tail like the one I'm making you'll wanna do it about 5 times.

Also, if the yarn you have tis thick, you'll wanna do it about 5 or 6 times. If you have thin yarn, up to 15. Regular, 10. You don't want the knot from where you tie it too big, but not too small either.

Step 18

Fold it in half,

Step 19

And tie in in the middle!

Step 20

Do it the same as you did the tip of the tail. Pin brush first,

Step 21

Slicker brush second~ I actually brush out the yarn in half to make it go by quicker.

Step 22

Straighten it again, but also gently use the straighten on the knot in half to make it flat.

Step 23

And there ya go~!

Step 24

~ATTACHING THE TUFT OF FUR~

Stick the needle all the way through the base,

Step 25

and sew the tuft by the knot to the base. Always start from the bottom of the tail up. You dont have to worry about having matching thread for the yarn

Step 26

Now keep doing this over and over,

Step 27

and over,

Step 28

and over....

(I actually ran out of black yarn so I just used white. If you want an uber realistic tail you can mix colors, such has other shades of the same colors.)

I just wanna ask is it possible to make this light so when you run with them on it starts to flow? I need to make 9 of these tails because im cosplaying as ahri :/ and i really want them to flow when running

i'm trying it i don't have one of the brushes so i'm untwisting it by hand but i'm using my cat brush and i don't have a flat iron so i'm using my curling iron i'm hoping if i get it to work right i'm going to make one for my niece and nephew for christmas cus they take off with all my tails from my costumes